Nehemiah : WK 4 - TUE
Seats on the Bus
Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.
I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Did we already discuss Sanballat? Whenever he appears in our story, we typically find two things. First, he tries to act as if he’s on Nehemiah’s team: helpful and a believer. Second, he is actually attempting to undermine the mission through subversion, criticism, distraction, and other tactics.
Nehemiah wastes no time trying to win Sanballat’s group over to his side. His discernment is so sharp that he barely pauses for conversation. He says, “We are going to do this with God’s blessing, and you won’t be a part of it. You can move along now.” Wow! Nehemiah is brutally no-nonsense.
In the popular book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins describes the most common behaviors and ingredients among organizations that outperform their above-average competitors and achieve the highest levels of sustained performance. Among other things, Collins illustrates a crucial leadership behavior through the metaphor of seats on a bus. He explains that the best leaders invest significant energy in analyzing whether their team members are in the right seats on the bus. If they are not, leaders diligently shift their team from seat to seat until each member fulfills their ideal purpose. A critical leadership task arises when they recognize that there is no appropriate seat on the organizational bus. In such cases, the leader must act swiftly and thoughtfully to remove the team member from the bus altogether.
Does that sound un-Christian? Nehemiah says no. In fact, we dilute our church’s mission by allowing those without any intention of participating in the work we've defined to assume leadership roles. It's crucial to continually realign our teams with the core values that bring life to the Crosswalk community and the end statements we espouse.
It is essential to insist on the clarity of the message and mission while inviting everyone to belong. This work is crucial; a steadfast focus is necessary for these walls to be built.
P.S. – For more information on Crosswalk’s end statements and our core values: Belonging, Momentum, and Experience, go to crosswalkvillage.com and glance through the About pages.
Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.
I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Did we already discuss Sanballat? Whenever he appears in our story, we typically find two things. First, he tries to act as if he’s on Nehemiah’s team: helpful and a believer. Second, he is actually attempting to undermine the mission through subversion, criticism, distraction, and other tactics.
Nehemiah wastes no time trying to win Sanballat’s group over to his side. His discernment is so sharp that he barely pauses for conversation. He says, “We are going to do this with God’s blessing, and you won’t be a part of it. You can move along now.” Wow! Nehemiah is brutally no-nonsense.
In the popular book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins describes the most common behaviors and ingredients among organizations that outperform their above-average competitors and achieve the highest levels of sustained performance. Among other things, Collins illustrates a crucial leadership behavior through the metaphor of seats on a bus. He explains that the best leaders invest significant energy in analyzing whether their team members are in the right seats on the bus. If they are not, leaders diligently shift their team from seat to seat until each member fulfills their ideal purpose. A critical leadership task arises when they recognize that there is no appropriate seat on the organizational bus. In such cases, the leader must act swiftly and thoughtfully to remove the team member from the bus altogether.
Does that sound un-Christian? Nehemiah says no. In fact, we dilute our church’s mission by allowing those without any intention of participating in the work we've defined to assume leadership roles. It's crucial to continually realign our teams with the core values that bring life to the Crosswalk community and the end statements we espouse.
It is essential to insist on the clarity of the message and mission while inviting everyone to belong. This work is crucial; a steadfast focus is necessary for these walls to be built.
- What is it that draws you to Crosswalk? What do you know about its stated mission?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how open are you to exploring a leadership role at church? Why?
P.S. – For more information on Crosswalk’s end statements and our core values: Belonging, Momentum, and Experience, go to crosswalkvillage.com and glance through the About pages.
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